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Youth Ambassadors

The Middle East Youth Initiative is working with a select group of youth ambassadors who are tuned into their local communities and keen to communicate their insights on social and economic inclusion of young people in their countries. Current discourse among youth leaders and practitioners on this issue can be found in our Point of View section.*

  • Joulan Abdulkhalek is our Youth Ambassador from Beirut, Lebanon, where he is obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the American University of Beirut (AUB). He has worked as a journalist at Outlook, the student newspaper at AUB, and has served as Media and Information Manager in the AUB International Model United Nations, where he participated in simulation conferences and designed club marketing strategies. He has also participated in numerous training programs and conferences, including the Learning from the Future conference in Dubai in April 2008, and has five years of experience in commercial acting.
  • Seba Salem Abu-Dagga is our Youth Ambassador in Ramallah, Palestine. She has a Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratization from the University of Malta and obtained her B.A. from Birzeit University. She previously worked with the International Federation for Human Rights’ permanent delegation to the European Union in Brussels and as a Senior Officer at the Department of Planning and Policies in the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Palestine, where she assessed policies and offered recommendations on gender equity and representation.
  • Alaa Al-Mizyen is our Youth Ambassador from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is currently a student in the College of Business Administration in Jeddah working toward a bachelor's degree in Marketing. She is the founder of “Saudi Arabia’s Women of Tomorrow,” an on-campus student organization to encourage a leadership role for women in the college community, and has written on the role of women in business and politics, education system reform, and the environment. She represented Saudi Arabia at the Learning from the Future conference in Dubai in April 2008. Learn more about Alaa's Point of View, where she presents youth realities in Saudi Arabia.
  • Abdullah Al-Thawr joins us a Youth Ambassador from Sana'a, Yemen. He is the first prize winner of the World Bank co-organized International Essay Competition 2007, silver medal award winner of an online high school research competition implemented worldwide, and an active participant in youth events across the region and in Europe-Mediterranean. He is currently the Youth Programs Officer at the New Democracy School in Sana'a.  Learn more about Abdullah's Point of View, where he presents youth realities in Yemen.
  • Samar Mezghanni joins us as a Youth Ambassador from Tunis, Tunisia. She was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest novelist in the world in 2000. She has a hundred stories published in more that two hundred Tunisian and Arab newspapers and magazines. She is a member of the Euro Mediterranean Youth Parliament, has participated in numerous youth summits, and is currently studying psychology at the High Institute of Human Sciences in Tunis. 
  • Waleed Sadek is our Youth Ambassador in Giza, Egypt, where he is a lecturer at the National Institute for Planning at the Ministry of Economic Development co-founder and board member of the Future Youth Club, a non-governmental organization that aims to empower Egyptian youth. He has spoken at many national and international conferences on youth policy and youth participation, including the First International Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh in September 2007. In 2005, he was a United Nations Youth Ambassador in the 60th United Nations General Assembly. Learn more about Waleed's Point of View, where he presents youth realities in Egypt.

  • Radwan Wetti is our Youth Ambassador in Damascus, Syria, where he is a Business Experience Program Manager for the SHABAB Project at the Syria Trust for Development. He also previously served as Coordination Manager of the Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association and assisted in organizing the first Syrian job fair and the First National Industrial Conference. He has managed programs and developed training modules in strategic planning, enterprise development, and marketing for a number of organizations. Learn more about Radwan's Point of View, where he presents youth realities in Syria.

  • Sarah Zaaimi joins us as a Youth Ambassador from Rabat, Morocco. In 2007, she received her M.A. in international studies and diplomacy from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. She has worked as a television, newspaper, and magazine journalist, and has participated in a number of projects aimed at youth inclusion, among them the first League of Arab States Youth Forum in 2007 and the Soliya Connect program for future global leaders. Learn more about Sarah's Point of View, where she presents youth realities in Morocco.

     

     

     *The opinions expressed in the "Point of View'" posts represent the views of the author and are not formally endorsed by the Middle East Youth Initiative.